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1998

Empowerment: The Challenge for Thai hotelindustryRugee Thuayngarm

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Recommended CitationThuayngarm, Rugee, "Empowerment: The Challenge for Thai hotel industry" (1998). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology.Accessed from

Empowerment: The Challenge for Thai Hotel Industry

By

Rugee Thuayngarm

A project submitted to the

Faculty of the School ofFood, Hotel and Travel Management

At

Rochester Institute ofTechnology

In partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree

of

Master of Science

February 1998

FORMGROCHESTER INSTITIJ1E OF 1ECHNOLOGY

School of Food, Hotel and Travel ManagementDepartment or Gradu"ate Studies

M.S. Hospitality-Tourism ManagementCommiUee Appointment and Project Proposal Defense

Name: __R_ll-,,~~)t:_'_~_T_h_l_l_L:t.".,.Y_Il-o'~'-),_a_r_111__ Date: 3/ I 0/9855#: _

Title of Proposed Project: _

r. III P(Hn~ r III t' n l: T h t.' C II a I ,I e 11 g t~ f II r T h a i (lot e I I n d II St ,-)

------------------_._-_._------------Number of Credits Requested: _...0;;2 _

FacuJty Advisor: N_"II_""_O_a_,_ri_d_C_r_u_Il_1_h _

valuationJRecomrnendatiom; of Faculty Advisor:

~./oP'iate

S/10 (~YDale

David G. Crumb

Faculty Advisor's Signature

_R:..:.:i~c:.:.:ha=r-=d~M:..:.:a=r.:=.e=ck=i DateDepartment Chairperson's Signature

Note:, A typed research proposal must accompany this form.This form will not be signed by the Department & Committee Chairpersons untU aUcorrections as suggested in the specific recommendations above are completed.

cc: Departmental, Student Record File - OriginalStudent

ROCHES1ER INSTIIUIE OF lECHNOLOGYSchool of Food, Hotel and Travel Management

Department or Graduate Studies

M.S. Hospitality-Tourism ManagementStatement Grantin~ or Denvin2 Permission to Reproduce ThesislProject

The author of a thesis or project should complete one of the following statementsand include this statement as the page following the title page.

Title of thesis/project: - ~

Empowc,"mt'nt: 'fhc Cha'II('ngl' for Thai Hotel I,ndustry

I. Rugee Thuavngarrn • hereby (grant. deny) peIlJlission to the

Wallace Memorialllbrary of RJ.T., to reproduce tlie document titled above in

whole or part. Any reproduction will not be for commercial use or profit.

OR

I. __- ~J prefer to be contacted each time a

request for reproduction is made. I can be reached at the follo....ing address:

Signature

Acknowledgments

First of all, I would like to attribute my gratitude to my parents for their great

love, support, and encouragement. I would like to thank them for giving me the most

valuable present in the world that one human being could ever get - the opportunity for

life and for being myself, which always enable me to pursue my dreams and goals.

Next, I would like to express my gratitude to my project advisor, Mr. D. Crumb,

for his guidance and feedback, which were valuable for this research. I would like to

thank all my graduate professors for their lectures about the service quality management,

which are beneficial not only for the study but also for my career path.

I would remember all the people at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, both

management and front line people, who give the most precious information for

performing the research. Also, a very special thanks for human resources department for

arranging each single appointment with management and front line people. I would like

to say many thanks for my two sisters and all my friends for being so supportive.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank Mr. Manin Suthirat for his love, his

understanding, and his encouragement which motivated me to complete this research.

I dedicate my master to you all.

Empowerment: The Challenge for Thai Hotel Industry

Rugee Thuayngarm

Abstract

This research study is conducting to evaluate the degree of assessment of the

empowerment concept at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is a green-site hotel for the empowerment concept,

which means that the hotel has been operated under empowerment since the hotel was

first operated in 1996. It claims to be the first hotel in Thailand employing this concept.

The research study carries out opinion and perceptions of front-line service staffs

on the actual empowerment practice at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel in three main

departments: Front Office, Food and Beverage, and Housekeeping. This will be

beneficial for the management in assessing the current hotel operation under the

empowerment concept, which will lead to improvement process for full advantage in

employing this concept.

Table ofContents

Acknowledgement i

Abstract ii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE STUDY 1

Introduction 1

Problem Statement 2

Background 3

Purpose 4

Significance of Study 4

Methodology 5

Literature Review 5

Hypothesis 6

Definition ofTerms 6

Assumption 7

Scope and Limitations 7

Procedures 8

Long Range Consequences 8

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 9

The Service Triangle 9

Levels ofEmpowerment 1 1

Eight T'

s ofEmpowerment Checklist 1 7

The Empowerment Game Plan 18

CHAPTER HI METHODOLOGY 21

CHAPTER IV RESULTS AND FINDINGS 23

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS 26

Reference and Bibliography 30

Appendix A: The Overview of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel 32

Appendix B: The Overview ofManagement Style at

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel 39

Appendix C: Survey of the Assessment ofKey Elements for

Successful Implementation ofEmpowerment 44

Chapter I

Introduction & Statement of the Study

Introduction

There is no doubt that today's organizations are faced with unprecedented change

and challenge -

challenge to work in new ways, to do more with less, to break old

paradigms and "think outside the box", to take risks. More than ever before,

organizations need the power of vision to unite and inspire their people during

uncertainty and change. They must foster cooperation and collaboration in an

increasingly diverse and competitive environment. Organizations must be fluid to

respond quickly to change; they must break down barriers that block creativity and

innovation. (HRD Press, 1997)

In order to ensure growth and survival in today's business, organizations have to

develop new and unique approaches to attract and retain customers. Also, the hotel

business in Thailand has been increasing with high competition since 1990s. This makes

owners and management levels try to improve and differentiate their service from

competitors. Running the hotel business, we provide service as main product. And by its

nature, service is intangible. Therefore, how to grasp customers attention, best serve their

needs and become the number one in their minds turn to be the key factors in running

business. Each hotel tries to acquire new challenging strategies not only to better meet

and exceed customer expectations but also to better achieve financial results.

Some hotels in Thailand began restructuring their organizations and the

empowerment concept becomes one of the great solutions getting involved. With the

traditional hotel management concept, staffs are relying more on their supervisors, and do

only what they are told to do. Many times, this causes the delay in providing service to

customers.

By its meaning, empowerment is a management concept decentralizing the

decision making to lower organizational levels. If this management concept can be

successfully developed in Thai hotel business, I hope that it will help providing better and

faster service so as to best satisfy customers. In addition, it will help moving hotel

management concept in Thailand to one further step and help increasing service standard

in Thai hotel industry. Unfortunately, because empowerment is so frequently

misunderstood and, therefore, misapplied in organizations, not every hotel will be able to

implement it successfully. Some are most likely in trial and error stage spending a lot of

money, time, energy, and resources with doubt whether this strategy is appropriate for

their properties.

Problem Statement

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel has been practiced the empowerment concept

since it was first operated in 1996.

What kind of environment they need to create and what kind of behavior needed

to be changed so as to be successful in doing it? What are the critical factors that front-

line service staffs consider important to have for being empowered and in which areas

they conceive should be improved for being more empowered?

Background

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel is a green-site hotel for the empowerment

concept, which means that empowennent is applied as management style of the hotel

since it was first operated in 1996. The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel claims to be

the first hotel in Thailand which implements this concept.

During three months period before the hotel would be operated, employees were

first trained about empowerment, multiskilling, as well as standard and procedure of the

hotel and their own departments. Each department had separate training programs for its

employees with a close guidance from human resources department.

Outside professional trainers from Australian Hospitality Institution also played

an important role. They worked closely with human resources department and

management in each department in creating the most suitable training program for each

individual department.

The level of empowerment at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel varies from

department to department. Front Office department seems to employ a higher level of

empowerment in day to day operation than the other two departments do. As they clearly

state in their mission statement "We will empower ourselves to deliver exemplary

customer service.", management strongly believe and rigidly apply empowerment

concept in routine work in Front Office area.

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to analyze how well Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit

Hotel has been operated under the empowerment concept. Ideas, opinions and

perceptions from employees about the operation will give a guidance for the owners and

managers of the hotel to consider how they should improve their operation in order to

most benefit their employees, property, and as a result, to most benefit their customers.

Significance of Study

As the hotel industry in Thailand expands, it will be challenging for management

to discover new strategies that will enhance customer service, and increase profitability

for the organization. Empowerment seems very successful in Western countries;

therefore the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel has been trying to implement the

empowerment concept in the day to day operation to improve and ensure service

standard.

As front-line employees are the key persons in practicing the empowerment

concept, their opinions and perceptions about the operation are valuable for the

evaluation of the current performance.

I do hope my study will be beneficial for the hotel, particularly the management

level, to recognize how their employees think about the operation, so that they can base

the finding ofmy study to serve as a guidance on how, and in which areas the operation

should be improved. The results would be better performance in employing the

empowerment concept in the organization.

Methodology

The research study will concentrate on present perspectives. The descriptive

research will be used to illustrate the performance of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel,

which is now using the empowerment concept. It will carry out front-line service staff

opinions and perceptions about the hotel current operation on thirteen key elements for

successful implementation of empowerment concept, which are Goals, Roles, Training,

Resources, Trust, Authority, Management Support, Participation, Feedback, Recognition,

Relationship Between Management and Staffs, Relationship among Staffs in the same

Department, and Relationship among Staffs from Different Departments.

Literature Review

Topics that will be reviewed will include: Empowerment Concept, Barriers in

Developing Empowerment Concept, Cross-Cultural Transfer ofManagement, Customer

Satisfaction, and Thai Cultural Structure.

Sources will include industry journals, as well as those involving Empowered

Management, Barriers to Empowerment. A text book review will include authors Jane

Smith, Richard S. Wellms, William C. Byham, Jeanne M. Wilson, Karl Albrecht, and so

on.

Hypothesis

I believe the study will show that applying the empowerment concept in Sheraton

Grande Sukhumvit Hotel requires some further steps for improvement to better suit

employees'

preferences. There will be many factors needed to be changed and created so

as to get the full benefit in implementing this concept.

Definition ofTerms

Cross-cultural transfer ofmanagement, is transferring management concept from one

country to anothers where there are different environment and background.

Customs and Cultural Structure: is the integrated pattern of beliefs, social forms and

material traits of racial, religious, or social group.

Empowerment, is defined as the redistribution of power within an organization that

enables managers, supervisors, and employees to perform their jobs more efficiently and

effectively. The overall goal of empowerment is to enhance customer service and

increase profits to the organization by releasing decision-making responsibility, authority

and accountability to the lowest levels within the organization. (Woods and King, 1996)

Moment of Truth, is every single moment that customers come into contact with and

have experiences with the organization.

Strategy, is a careful plan or method appears to serve an important function in achieving

goal or evolutionary success.

Assumption

I will assume that management level of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel will be

able to consider how they should improve their current operation in order to be successful

in applying empowerment concept in their organization by determining the evidence

from the survey. They will clearly understand how front-line service staffs experience

and perceive the way management operate the hotel under the empowerment concept.

The most important point, they will get some ideas from their own employees in order to

create better environment for empowerment.

Scope and Limitations

As no rules, best practices, or secret formulas exist that ensure high-performance

outcomes for empowerment, management who follow the evidence carried out from the

study to improve the hotel operation may not always achieve the best result. There still be

any other important factors to be taken to consideration. Cultural structure can be one of

those important factors. Cultural structure differs from country to country, or even from

organization to organization.

This study is attempting to analyze and convey opinions and perceptions about the

empowered-operation at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel from front line employees to

management level so that the management will better understand what their internal

customers need more for being empowered.

Procedures

The population for this study will be the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit hotel,

Bangkok. The sample will be 50% of the total number of hotel front line service staffs,

who create every single moment of truth with customers, from Front Office Department,

Food and Beverage Department, and Housekeeping Department. Data collection will be

done by questionnaires. Personal interview will also be done.

The purpose of the survey is to determine the level of assessment in key elements

for successful implementation of empowerment at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel.

Long Range Consequences

Should the findings of this study be in accordance with the hypothesis, the

management level will get broader picture how empowerment works and should be

managed. Which areas are needed to be improved in order to effectively apply this

concept at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel? This will be helpful in making better

decision and better planning in employing this strategy in the hotel. They will gain more

information to contemplate what and how things needed to be differently managed in

applying empowerment to meet theiremployees'

needs.

Chapter II

Review ofLiterature

Service Management, as Karl Albrecht has stated in the At America's Service

(1992), is a total organizational approach that make quality of service, as perceived by the

customer, the number one driving force for the operation of the business. The service

management philosophy suggests that everybody in the organization has a part to play in

making sure things turn out right for the customer.

The Service Triangle

. i984. Kart AlbrotN.

Figure 1. The Service Triangle

After many investigations and discussion with executives of excellent service

companies, Albrecht have created the service triangle as a way of describing the

operations of successful service business. Three major characteristics of the model are:

1 . A vision, or strategy for the service product.

2. Customer-oriented front-line people.

3. Customer-friendly systems.

A Well-Conceived Strategy for Service. The outstanding organizations have

discovered, invented, or evolved a unifying idea about what they do. Service

concept, or service strategy, directs the attention of the people in the organization

toward the real priorities of the customer.

Customer-Oriented Front-Line People. Managers of such organizations have

encouraged and helped the people who deliver the service to keep their attention

fastened on the needs of the customer. The effective front-line person is able to

maintain an"otherworldly"

focus of attention by tuning in to the customer's

current situation, frame ofmind, and need. This leads to a level of the service as

superior in the customer's mind.

Customer-Friendly Systems. The delivery system that backs up the service people

is truly designed for the convenience of the customer rather than the convenience

of the organization.

In achieving the highest customer-driven performance, all key characteristics in

the Service Triangle should be supporting one another.

10

Achieving success amidst the constant demands and the uncertainties of today's

world often seems like a massive task. It is the time we need to work in new ways-to

break old paradigms and think outside the box. And it is one that no one can hope to

carry through without the full co-operation and enthusiasm of staff at all levels of the

organization.

The philosophy of empowerment recognizes that nobody knows a job better than

the person doing it, and that most people want to be involved and take a pride of being

ownership in the work that they do.

As you can see from the service triangle model, front-line people is one of the key

elements. It is significant to empower people closest the problem to solve the problems

for the benefit of customers. It is to motivate front line people to do what they need to do,

by considering what is the best for customers, rather than to do what they are told to do.

Levels ofEmpowerment

Donald C. Mosley, Leon C Megginson, and Paul H. Pietri have noted in

Supervisory Management: The Art of Empowering and Developing People (1997) about

four levels of empowerment: 1. Traditional Management 2. Suggestion Involvement 3.

Job Level Involvement 4. Full Empowerment.

11

Figure 2. Levels ofEmpowerment

Traditional Management

There is minimal empowerment exists in this level. Major decision-making

authority rests outside the control of employees. The worker's task is to complete

the job as required; he or she can do little to influence the outcome.

Suggestion Involvement

At this level, employees are actively encouraged to make suggestions to improve

aspects of their work or to determine their opinion about tentative changes in the

way work is conducted. This level of involvement does not change the fact that

12

management or the system, rather than employees, exercises true control over the

primary work decisions that determine what is to be done and how to do it. The

narrow job duties may remain, but some empowerment occurs through the

suggestion process.

Job Involvement

In job involvement, jobs are defined so that employees use a broad variety of

skills and control the work content of their jobs. There are several conditions

necessary for individuals to become truly empowered at this level. These include

the following:

1. Having self-confidence to perform the job well. To be empowered, employees

must feel that they have the skills and abilities to successfully perform their

work.

2. Being able to make work choices. A condition of empowerment is that

employees have significant latitude in determining how their work is

performed. Often these choices include decisions about what, how, and when

the work is done, as well as how work problems are handled.

3. Believing the work is meaningful. Empowered employees feel that their work

has purpose and value. They feel that their extra effort and initiative

contributes in an important rather than trivial way.

4. Feeling that individual effort can make a difference. Truly empowered

employees feel that they can personally impact job outcomes. The decisions

13

that they make about their jobs largely determine whether the job results are a

success or failure.

5. Knowing there is management support. Since empowered employees take

risks in assuming responsibility, they must trust their own supervisors and

higher managers to back them up.

Full Empowerment

In a full empowerment organization, the total organization is involved. The

organization's performance information is openly shared and made available to all

employees. Employees are highly skilled in teamwork and problem-solving

techniques and actively participate in work unit and higher-level management

decisions.

Empowerment is an extremely effective tool for developing both people and

organizations. It is a vital element of the modern business environment. Getting closer to

the customer, improving service delivery, continuous innovation, increased productivity,

gaining the competitive edge.

Jane Smith has mentioned in Empowering People: How to bring out the best in

your workforce (1996) that empowerment becomes necessary because the external

environment has changed and the people themselves also have changed.

14

Business organizations in the 1990s operate in a world of uncertainty, complexity

and unpredictable change. You are probably well aware of the main factors that have

brought this situation about:

Intensifying competition

All businesses are to a greater or lesser extent influenced and affected by the

competitive environment. Organizations need empowered people to help them

fight off the competitive threat.

Rapid technological innovation

Any business that wishes to survive in a changing world must keep abreast of

the technology applicable to its products and services and to its methods of

operation. To do otherwise is to risk destruction as competitors take advantage

of new developments. Most companies now use computer systems to help

them gather, process, store and use infonnation more efficiently. Many also

use them as the basis of entirely new manufacturing processes or services.

During the 1980s and 1990s, business information systems have created new

business possibilities, improved general efficiency and have frequently

resulted in substantial cost savings.

Organizations need empowered people to make the best use of advanced

technology.

Constant demand for higher quality and better value

Many organizations recognize that, in the face of increasing competition, they

have to continuously improve the quality of service they provide for

customers. This means finding out what customers want in the first place and

15

then improving on this. When several companies are competing in the same

market for the business of the same customers, service is often the most

important way of gaining the competitive edge. Organizations need

empowered people to find innovative ways of improving their products and

services.

For a long time, managers have been saying that people are their most valuable

resource, but until recently few seem to have acted on this assertion. At last it is dawning

on organizations that their present security and future success depend more on the talent

and wit of their people than on their land, their buildings, their plant and their equipment.

Employees have truly become the "intellectualcapital"

of the organization. (Smith,1996)

In his book, The Empty Raincoat, Charles Handy notes that focused intelligence,

the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and know-how, is the new source of wealth.

The traditional sources of wealth - land, raw materials, technology, even unskilled labor

- can all be bought in as and when they are needed. What you can't do without is the

people who have the ability to use all of these to the best advantage. Material resources

cannot by themselves improve service quality, they cannot generate innovative ideas,

they cannot push the organization to new performance levels. The goal of empowerment

is to harness the brains of our people, rather than simply their brawn.

Another aspect of change is that working people today are very different from

those in employment in the early and middle years of the twentieth century. Traditional

16

"bluecollar"

workers now form a minority of the workforce, most workers do jobs that

demand far more of them than simple manual labor, and those that are involved in

unskilled work have higher expectations than their predecessors.

Sheila Kessler has also cited in the book, Total Quality Service: A Simplified

Approach to Using the Baldrige Award Criteria (1995), "Company that empower

employees as part of their overall quality management effort are twice as likely as other

firms to report significant product or serviceimprovement."

Everybody talks about empowerment these days and many company leaders claim

to be practicing it, somehow, there is a great number ofmanagers and employees who do

not really understand what empowerment involves. (Pastor, 1997)

Jim Cathcart has recommended eight T's of Empowerment Checklist for

determining how to empower or motivate someone by identifying employees who will be

empowered and then ask the eight questions to determine what kind of empowerment

would be the most effective.

Target - Do employees understand and accept the purpose or goal?

Tools - Do employees have the tools, or information needed to do the job?

Training- Has there been enough training in how to use the tools well?

Time - Have they had enough time for the training to take effect?

Truth - Do employees know how all of this fits together?

17

Tracking - Is management providing the feedback needed for them to stay on

track?

Touch - Is there enough support and encouragement?

Trust - Do management trust employees appropriately for their skill and

mastery level?

The Empowerment Game Plan

Drawing on ten years of research and consultation with a wide variety of

companies, Ken Blanchard, John P. Carlos and Alan Randolph, the authors of

Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute (1996), has defined three essential keys for

achieving true empowerment:

1 . Share information with everyone

2. Create autonomy through boundaries

3. Replace hierarchical thinking with self-managed teams

The authors summarize the three keys to empowerment and use arrows to show

the interplay that is needed among all three in the empowerment game plan.

18

The Empowerment Game Plan

Star! with

Sharing Information with Everyone

Share performance information about the company,

help peopie understand the business

Build trust through sharing.

Set up sett-monitoring possibilities.

View mistakes as learning opportunities

Break down hierarchical thinking; help people behave

/>

as owners.

Then

S Xs

And

Create Autonomy

through Boundaries

Clarify the big and little pictures

Clarify goals and rotes

* Define values and rules that

underlie actions.

Create rules and procedures

that support empowerment.

* Provide needed training,

Hold people accountable tor

results,

Replace the Old Hierarchy i

with Self-Directed Teams j

Provide direction and skills

training for empowered

teams.

Provide support and

encouragement tor change.

Use diversity as a learn

asset

Gradually give control to

the teams

Recognize there will be

some tough times.

Figure 3. The Empowerment Game Plan

Organizations often fail to improve because managers, who have the authority to

make changes, are unaware of the problems, while people on the front line, who know

what the problems are, have no authority to do anything about them. It is too common for

19

businesses to pay consultants a large amount to tell them how to improve work processes,

when their staff could have provided much of the same information for nothing. (Smith,

1996)

The traditional way of managing has emphasized the control and direction of

people and the maintenance of discipline. The old-style manager clings firmly to the

belief that if you give them an inch they will take a mile. Such managers have a profound

effect on the way their people behave. Rather than focusing on improving services or

getting closer to the customer's needs, theirsubordinates'

primary objectives tend to be

pleasing the boss and keeping out of trouble.

To empower others, managers have to trust their people's abilities and

commitment. To commit themselves and to take on ownership of the organization's

goals, people must be able to trust and respect their managers. And before any of this can

happen, managers have to believe that empowerment is both possible and beneficial.

However, many managers are concerned that to empower is to lose control and to invite

chaos.

20

Chapter III

Methodology

In this study, the Likert-type format is used in designing the questionnaire

(Appendix C). Likert-type response format, developed by R.A. Likert (1932) allows

front-line staffs to respond in varying degrees to each item. The low end represents a

negative response (Strongly Disagree) while the high end represents a positive response

(Strongly Agree).

The questionnaire allows front line service staffs to evaluate the level of

assessment of thirteen key elements for successful implementation of empowerment

within their own departments. Those key elements, which include Goals, Roles, Training,

Resources, Trust, Authority,Management Support, Participation, Feedback, Recognition,

Relationship Between Management and Staffs, Relationship among Staffs in the same

Department, and Relationship among Staffs from Different Departments, are gathered

from many readings about the empowerment concept from both published books and

journals.

The responses were obtained from 118 front-line service staffs in three main

departments: Front Office, Food and Beverage, and Housekeeping. Fifty percent of the

total number of front line service staffs in each department (29 Front Office Staffs out of

58, 52 Food and Beverage Staffs out of 104, and 37 Housekeepers out of 74), were the

sample in this research study.

21

The raw scores for each single element would be calculated for the average values

separated by department. The average values would finally represent the degree of

assessment for the department as a whole, which would be used for the analysis.

22

Chapter IV

Results and Findings

Table 1

The degree of assessment of key elements in successful implementation of

empowerment.

1 -

Strongly Disagree 2 - Disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Agree 5 -

Strongly Agree

Key Elements Department

Front Office F&B Housekeeping

Goals 4.00 3.88 4.00

Roles 3.90 3.87 4.14

Training 3.69 3.63 3.73

Resources 3.52 3.37 3.81

Trust 3.62 3.62 2.78

Authority 3.72 3.65 2.89

Management Support 3.76 3.52 2.78

Participation 4.07 3.19 2.43

Feedback 3.41 3.60 3.65

Recognition 3.69 3.48 3.78

Relationship BetweenManagement and Staff 3.48 3.56 3.05

Relationship Among Staff In The Same Departments 4.41 4.27 4.41

Relationship Among Staff In Different Departments 3.45 3.65 3.24

* This survey is conducted through 50% of the total number of front-line service staffs from three main departments:

29 Front Office staffs, 52 Food&Beverage service staffs, and 37 Housekeepers.

*Goals - Employees clearly understand and accept the purpose and goal ofboth department and hotel.

Roles - Employees are clear about what are expected from them.

Training- Has there been enough training in how to perform the job and how to use resources.

Resources - Employees have the equipment or information needed to do the job.

Trust - Employees are trusted that they can do the job and make decision without supervision

Authority- Employees have the right to make decisions and take actions for customer satisfaction.

Management Support - Management actively supports and encourages employees.

Participation - Employees have opportunities to participate and show their ideas and opinions about

the operation.

Feedback - Feedback is provided to employees in order to stay on track.

Recognition - Employees receive appropriate recognition for their contributions and efforts.

Relationships - Management encourages relationship between management and employees.

Management encourages relationship among members in the same department.

Management encourages relationship among employees in different departments.

Refer to Appendix C for full detail of questionnaire.

23

Graph 1

The Comparison of the Key Elements for Successful Implementation of

Empowerment by Departments

Relationship Among Staff In

Different Departments

Relationship Among Staff In The

Same Departments

Relationship Between

Management and Staff

Management Support BWi

Resources H

Training

Roles

Goals I

0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00

m Front Office F&B DHousekeeping

24

Front Office front line service staffs give mostly above average scores on each

key element. The highest score of level of assessment is in the Relationship among staff

in the same department area. However, the first three lowest scores are on Feedback,

Relationship between management and staff'and Resources accordingly.

Food and Beverage front line service staffs also give above average scores.

Somehow, almost all scores are below 4.0, except on the area oiRelationship among staff

in the same department, which is remarkably as high as 4.27, comparing to other areas.

Although Housekeeping front line service staffs also give the highest score of

4.41 on the area oiRelationship among staff in the same department, the very extremely

low-score areas are in four main elements; Trust, Authority, Management Support, and

Participation.

25

Chapter V

Conclusion and Research Implimentation

The research evidence shows that the level of assessment of empowerment in

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel differs from department to department. The general

conclusion indicates that empowerment is not working to full advantage for the hotel.

All three departments obtain rather close level in most key elements for successful

implementation of empowerment. The most significant differences fall into four areas:

Trust, Authority, Management Support, and Participation. Housekeeping gain very low

levels in all these four elements, while Front Office and Food and Beverage departments

get somewhat close, except in the area of Participation, where Front Office reach

remarkably high level.

Since the workforce is so diverse, empowerment are better suited some employees

than others. Therefore, levels of empowerment should be varied relying on nature of

work, level of education and knowledge of employees, skills and abilities to effectively

use empowerment, and also the readiness of each individual front-line service staffs to be

empowered.

The art of good management is to determine what degree of empowerment to

extend to different employees. The greatest challenge for managers is to carefully assess

themselves, their organizations, and their employees.

26

Empowerment needs to be originated from the top, or it goes nowhere. Are

managers ready to give up decision-making authority and pass those powers they used to

have to front-line people? Or are they distrustful of their subordinates? Trust and support

from owner and management at all levels is critical.

Though it is clearly stated in the standard and procedure of the hotel about the

management style at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (Appendix B), it will be only the

beautiful words which are written down on the paper if there is no real practice in the

routine operation.

Next, are employees ready or willing to participate in empowerment program or

are they disinterested in the organization in general and their own job in particular?

As empowerment means front line people have freedom to act for the benefit of

customers, it also means they have to take more responsibilities and be more accountable

for the results. Some employees want to move on into the further step, but some would

prefer to stay in the old accustomed one by taking no risks.

The cultural structure ofThai people is one of the very important factors. As Thai

culture is different from the Western's, the success of cross-cultural transfer of

management approaches and organizational techniques is varied. Thais are taught to

respect elders since very early age. They are aware of their positions in the family

27

hierarchy, a distinction that applies not only to the relationship between parents and

children but also to that between siblings of different ages. This same delineation of roles

also applies to the wider world outside the family and will remain deeply ingrained

throughout life, thus explaining the reluctance of younger Thais to oppose or otherwise

confront a senior during their subsequent careers in business and government.

The same in their career path, Thais do strongly believe in hierarchy management.

They pay respect to the persons in higher levels. Whatever decisions in the organization

are mostly from the higher positions and do what they are told to do. Doing anything

without asking or reporting means no respect. Therefore, applying any cross-cultural

management strategy in Thailand should carefully consider about Thai culture.

The evidence also shows about average score on Training area for all

departments. Front line people will never be effectively empowered if they do not have or

are not trained to have skills and abilities needed to be empowered. Somehow, each

individual person is unique. Each person requires different length of time for learning

and being trained.

Also, with the standard score on Resource, which includes equipment and

information needed to do the jobs, front line people without necessary resources will

never be able to act responsibly. One most important key for empowerment is to share

information with everyone. With no sufficient information in performing the job, there

will be no confidence in carrying out power.

28

Feedback on current performance will help employees keeping the right track on

how they should perform their jobs. Moreover, it also leads to the improvement process

for better performance in the future.

Reward and recognition is a vital key for motivating and driving employees to

constantly carry out good performance with no necessary control from supervisors.

Lastly, good relationship in all levels in the organization generates mutual

benefits for customers, employees, and ultimately, for the organization as a whole.

No matter what level of empowerment the hotel is employing, the most important

thing the management should considerably care about is to take a good care of

employees, so that they can take a good care of customers.

29

References and Bibliography

Albrecht, K. (1988). At America's Service. New York: Warner Books.

Blanchard,K Carlos, J.P., and Randolph, A. (1996). Empowerment Takes More

Than a Minute. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Ford, R.C. and Fottler, M.D. (1995). Empowerment: A Matter ofDegree. Journal

of the Academy ofManagement Executive 9(3). 21-35

Handy, C. (1995). The Empty Raincoat. Arrow Business Books.

Hayes, B.E. (1998). Measuring Customer Satisfaction. Wisconsin: ASQC Quality

Press.

Kessler, S. (1995). Total Quality Service: A Simplified Approach to Using the

Baldrige Award Criteria. Wisconsin: ASQC Quality Press.

Mosley, D.C., Megginson, L.C., and Pietri, P.H. (1997). Supervisory

Management: The Art of Empowering and Developing People. Ohio: South-Western

College Publishing.

Plunkett, L.C. and Fournier, R. (1991). Participative Management: Implementing

Empowerment. New York: John Wiley.

30

Smith, J. (1996). Empowering People: How to Bring Out the Best in Your

Workforce. London: Kogan Page, Ltd.

Wellins, R.S., Byham, W.C., and Wilson J.M. (1991). Empowered Teams:

Creating Self-Directed Work Groups that Improve Quality, Productivity, and

Participation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Woods, R.H. and King, J.Z. (1996). Quality Leadership and Management.

Michigan: The Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Motel Association, (p. 155-

178)

31

Appendix A:

The Overview of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel.

32

Overview of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel

Location

Located in fashionable midtown Sukhumvit, the luxurious Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is

the only genuine 5-star hotel in this vibrant commercial and residential area ofBangkok.

The majestic thirty-storey tower offers dramatic views over the city and nearby Lake

Rachada; while the distinctive three-storey podium that fronts the hotel, stands in stark

contrast to the hustle and bustle of the street outside. (Sukhumvit Road runs all the way to

Cambodia and is one of the city's most famous thoroughfares.)

Inside, the coolly elegant interior of the marble lobby, with its high ceiling and

unique stone carvings and waterborne Thai sculptures, provides a haven of tranquillity.

The Central Business District is just 3 kilometres from the hotel, but many companies,

who moved offices during the early nineties, are now located in the immediate area of

Asoke, Lard Phrao, Rachadapisek and eastern Sukhumvit.

The hotel offers easy access to some of the city's best shopping and entertainment.

Designer boutiques and a major department store are withineasy walking distance, and

the shopping centre of Siam Square is a short taxi ride away.

The Sukhumvit area also has some of the city's most interesting clubs, pubs, and

restaurants.

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Transportation

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is 26 kilometres from Bangkok's Don Muang International

Airport via the elevated expressway and Don Muang toll way. The average door-to-door

time is 25 minutes. The hotel offers a 24-hour meeting service at the airport and

transportation is by limousine or air-conditioned taxi. For travel within the city, public

taxis and limousine services are available.

Rooms and Suites

445 spacious, studio-style guest rooms, including 2 1 Executive Suites overlooking Lake

Rachada, 3 Specialty Suites and 2 Thai Theme Suites. All have 24-hour butler service.

The standard guest rooms are 45 square metres in size and feature rich woods, marble,

and sumptous Thai silks, to give an elegant, international flavour and yet retain a special

Thai touch.

Each room has a private bathroom with separate bath and shower,"walk-in"

wardrobe, individually controlled air conditioning, remote-control colour television with

in-house movie channels, compact disc player and tape, selected AM/FM radio, alarm

clock, IDD telephones with 2 lines and conference call facilities, bar with refrigerator,

220-240V AC power with connections for fax and personal computers, and a deluxe

range ofbathroom toiletries. Bathrooms have IDD telephones.

34

Executive Suites also incorporate a large living/lounge area with separate

washroom and toilet. Each Executive Suite is approximately 83 square metres. Special

accommodation for disabled guests is also available.

Restaurants

Ristorante Rossini

Adjacent to the Library on the third floor, this is Bangkok's finest Italian restaurant. A

splendidly informal, yet civilized place, with a Bistro-like atmosphere the Ristorante

offers cuisine from the coastal regions of southern Italy. From grillards of fresh seafood

and meats to creative pastas and pizzas, our Italian chef ensures that everything is

authentically. . . Italianissimo.

Orchid Cafe

An all-day-dining restaurant open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack.

Located off the main lobby, the Orchid Cafe offers a la carte menus as well as sumptous

international buffets.

Golden Lotus

Contemporary in design, this elegantly-appointed Chinese restaurant serves authentic

cuisine from southern

35

China, prepared by Hong Kong chefs. In addition to an extensive a la carte menu, a

special Dim Sum menu is available at lunch. For intimate dining, 6 private rooms are also

available.

Riva's

The place to be seen in Sukhumvit for lunch, after-work drinks, dinner and late night

entertainment, this quality brasserie has no equal. Cuisine is an eclectic mix of the best of

California, with influences of Oriental culture in both presentation and service. A

sophisticated, yet fun experience, with live music six nights a week.

The Grande Spa & Fitness Club

The Grande Spa & Fitness Club, located on the sixth floor, is staffed by fully-qualified

fitness instructors and therapists. The Club features 11 treatment rooms (including a

Guerlain Room), Gymnasium, Aerobics Studio, Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, Saunas, Steam

Rooms, Juice Bar, and of course, Male and Female Locker Rooms. Guests can have

personal one-on-one training, follow their own programs, or join any of the upbeat

aerobics classes.

36

Conference & Banqueting

Facilities

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is just minutes away from Thailand's largest conference

center, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, venue for the 46th World

Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in 1991. (The main hall can accommodate up to 7,000

people.)

However, for slightly smaller conferences and banquets the hotel boasts its own

unique facilities, most with natural daylight. Seven function rooms are located on the 4th

floor of the Podium, offering direct access to

the carpark.

The entire conference and banqueting floor is self-contained and has its own full-

time staff. Two elegant boardrooms have fixed boardroom tables and a seating capacity

of 12 persons per room. The hotel's Business Center also incorporates a similar

boardroom, plus two private offices.

The Grande Ballroom

Opulent in design and fully equipped, this 450 square metre room has a maximum

capacity of 500 for cocktails, 480 theatre style, and 350 for banquets.

37

The Sukhumvit Room

140 square metres, this light and airy room can comfortably accommodate 150 theatre

style and 100 for banquets.

Asoke Rooms 1+2

These smaller, more intimate function rooms of 85 square metres have a maximum

capacity of 95 theatre style and 55 for dinner.

Services and Facilities

The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is totally committed to excellence and guest

satisfaction, which is why the hotel is a member of the exclusive ITT Sheraton Luxury

Collection. The following are just some of the many superlative services offered: Express

check-in.

24-hour butler service.

Concierge services.

24-hour medical and dental services.

Same day laundry & dry cleaning.

Complimentary newspapers.

Limousine service.

Foreign currency exchange.

Private library, for guests only.

24-hour Business Center.

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Appendix B:

The Overview ofManagement Style at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel.

39

Management Style

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel has been designed to be elegant, efficient and to

enable all operating departments to be both profitable and to provide a high standard of

service to customers. From an organizational point ofview, the hotel will be positioned at

the top end of the market. All facilities and services are equivalent, at minimum, to the

best in Bangkok and South East Asia.

Senior executives will be competent and professional, both as individuals and

members of the Executive Committee. Individual excellence will not be effective unless

it also contributes to the collective excellence of the management team. Senior executives

will be expected to lead by example.

The Executive Committee will be the key vehicle by which the senior managers

contribute to the success of the success of the hotel. The committee will strive to achieve

consensus decisions, which are acceptable to all members and yet are decisions that do

not require excessive compromise on the part of one or more individuals. However, the

final responsibility for decisions rests with each executive and the committee will not be

used to delay decisions or to justify wrong decisions. Ability to contribute to the

Executive Committee will be an important factor in the assessment ofperformance.

Senior management will represent management opinions to the line staff and

therefore are critical to the two-way flow of information which will be necessary to create

40

the environment ofmutual trust and respect which in turn will be critical to the creation

of the right service culture for the hotel.

Shift Leaders and front line staff are the "torchbearers"

of the service culture

which the hotel will strive to present consistently to its customers. They will be carefully

selected and trained, and then given the right tools to do the job. As senior and middle

management numbers will be kept to a minimum, front line staff will carry more

responsibility and authority than has traditionally been the case in the industry. It is a key

responsibility of senior management to ensure that shift leaders and front line staff are, by

attitude, personality, and training, competent to accept this expanded role.

The concept of "Who is mycustomer?"

will be strongly developed; senior

management will be expected to regard their subordinates as their customers, andback-

of-house staff will be encouraged to take the same attitude to front-of-house staff. This

concept of customers will help to support the service culture the hotel is aiming to

implement.

A successful Manager is one who:

leads by example

by the way he/she presents a concept, persuades others to accept that concept

is able to think logically

encourages staff to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions

is able to act as a facilitator when necessary

acts as a catalyst to make things happen

41

is approachable

sets future goals for himself/herself

trains team players

delegates effectively and encourages initiative

puts his/her subordinates at ease

appears fair in his/her judgements

follows up immediately

improves the operations ofhis/her department

works hard

produces profits and contains costs

promotes teamwork

At all levels of the organization, the key to an employee's success will be

friendliness, helpfulness and efficiency. Other attributes of a successful employee will

be:

concern for guests and staff

enthusiasm

a positive attitude towards customer service

willing to learn

co-operative, both within his/her department and with employees of other

departments

deriving satisfaction from doing a job well

prepared to go the extra mile

42

good product knowledge

applying the principles and practices of Sheraton Guest Satisfaction Standard and

empowerment

ability to use customers names and to always give their own when answering the

phone

In keeping with the trend to provide better profits for owners the organization will

have a minimum of management staff. There will be no supervisors in the traditional

sense of a layer of management, as supervision will be exercised by team leaders. In

addition, the hotel will aim to train its front-line staff to take more responsibility, both in

terms of decisions making and of being capable of handling one or more additional roles.

Multi-skilling will be a key instrument in improving productivity and creating better

career paths for employees. The result will be a"flat"

organization, with a maximum of

two layers ofmanagement between the front-line staff and the Executive Committee.

43

Appendix C:

Survey of the assessment of key elements for successful implementation of

empowerment.

44

In order to create better empowered-working environment in Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel to

benefit all staffs, we would like to get your valuable opinions on the following key elements on the

implication of empowerment within your department. Please rate the degree of assessment through

these elements based on your experiences.

The degree of assessment:

1 - Strongly Disagree

2 - Disagree

3 - Neutral

4 - Agree

5 - Strongly Agree

Element Assessment Comment

Disagree - Strongly Agree

Goals 12 3 4 5

Employees clearly understand and accept the

purpose or goal of both department and hotel.

Roles 12 3 4 5

Employees are clear about what are

expected from them.

Training 12 3 4 5

Has there been enough training in how to

perform the job and how to use resources.

Resources 12 3 4 5

Employees have the equipment or information

needed to do the job.

Trust 12 3 4 5

Employees are trusted that they can do the job

and make decision without supervision.

Authority12 3 4 5

Employees have the right to make decisions

and take actions for customer satisfaction.

Management Support 12 3 4 5

Management actively supports and encourages

employees.

Participation 12 3 4 5

Employees have opportunities to participate

and show their ideas and opinions about the

operation.

45

Component Assessment Comment

Disagree - Strongly Agree

Feedback 12 3 4 5

Feedback is provided to employees in order to

stay on track.

Recognition 12 3 4 5

Employees receive appropriate recognition for

their contributions and efforts.

Relationships

Management encourages relationship between 12 3 4 5

management and employees.

Management encourages relationship among 12 3 4 5

members in the same department.

Management encourages relationship among 12 3 4 5

employees in different departments.

Personal Data

Position:

Department:

Working Period at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel:

Working Period in Hotel Business:

46